Governor Endus Practices Illegal Spread In West Sumatra Flood Locations

Police assisted residents to transport goods while crossing the emergency bridge at locations affected by floods and landslides in Pesisir Selatan Regency, Thursday (14/3/2024). ANTARA/Muhammad Zulfikar

West Sumatra (West Sumatra) Provincial Governor Mahyeldi said there were strong indications of illegal logging or illegal logging around locations affected by floods and landslides in Pesisir Selatan Regency.

"From the landslide incident a few years ago, including the current disaster, there are indications (illegal logging). It was proven that when I went there there there was illegal logging," said West Sumatra Provincial Governor Mahyeldi in Padang, Friday, March 15, confiscated by Antara.

According to the Governor, the illegal logging did not only occur in Pesisir Selatan Regency. This is because from several districts affected by floods and landslides he found indications of illegal logging in forest areas, for example in Pasaman Regency.

Responding to this, Governor Mahyeldi said the local government together with the local leadership coordination forum (forkopimda) needed to follow up. The goal is that there will be no more illegal logging in forest areas that function as a water level barrier, especially when it rains.

In addition to coordinating with forkopimda, the West Sumatra Provincial Government will also intensify social forestry programs. This step is expected to be a solution to prevent hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landslides.

"So, people can take advantage of nature without destroying forests," he said.

The former Mayor of Padang for two periods said that the social forestry area of 300 thousand hectares (Ha) in Minang is a great potential that must be utilized by the community for improving welfare, as well as a step to maintain environmental balance.

Additional information, based on the results of a coordination meeting between the West Sumatra Provincial Government and the district and city governments and the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lt. Gen. Suharyanto on Monday (11/3) found several factors that caused hydrometeorological disasters in the province.

In addition to high rainfall for more than 12 hours, hydrometeorological disasters are also caused by poor drainage channels, resulting in blockages at several points. Then the construction of infrastructure and residential areas that do not pay attention to regional spatial planning.

Furthermore, from the results of data collection in the government field, several points in the landslide area occurred in deforestation, damaged wall retaining buildings and a number of other factors.